simone BairdJournalist and co-founder of

Simone is a journalist with 20 years of experience in the UK. As a founder of Clever Boxer, she creates and delivers content across all mediums, including live talks and events, journalism and writing, film and radio, and social platforms. Simone helps creatives and companies discover new revenue streams and love connecting people. Previously, Simone was Head of Guardian Masterclasses, and rapidly expanded the business in 2.5 years by innovating the event formats and subjects, and responding to market and industry trends to create new masterclasses and find the best speakers. She went on to launch Guardian Masterclasses in Australia. Simone has works with Time Out London, Time Out Sydney, the highly regarded Frieze Academy, and Shoreditch House in London. She has written for The Face, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Sydney Morning Herald, Sunday Times Style, The List (Scotland) and the seminal music magazine, Jockey Slut.

Workshop Title: How to Deal with the Realities of Being FreelanceWorkshop Summary: Whether or not you buy into the so-called ‘gig economy’, the fact is that 1 in 5 Londoners are now self-employed (according to the Office of National Statistics). While there are plenty of benefits to being a lone wolf, there are challenges too: hustling for work, negotiating fees, chasing invoices, piles of admin, and the psychological toll of staying motivated and working in isolation. In this talk hosted by Clever Boxer's Simone Baird – serial freelancer! – with Q&A we’ll cover the major problems encountered by freelancers, and how to deal with them so you can enjoy the best bits of being your own boss.

What you'll do: You'll get a round-up of the best tips and techniques for freelancers today, and then in an interactive workshop, practice some of what you've just learned, getting feedback from the speaker and each other.

What you'll learn: How to be the best freelancer you can be.

What you'll takeaway: A pack of tips, tricks and resources for freelancers, like the most efficient and effective ways to hustle for work, manage your admin and overcome the most common (and uncommon!) problems other freelancers encounter.